10-Minute Pesto Pasta Chicken

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz dried short pasta (penne, fusilli, or farfalle)

02 - Salt, for pasta water

→ Chicken

03 - 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken (about 8.8 oz)

→ Sauce & Finish

04 - ½ cup high-quality store-bought pesto (4 oz)

05 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

06 - ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (1.4 oz), plus extra for serving

07 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

08 - ½ cup fresh basil leaves, torn (optional, about 0.4 oz)

09 - Zest of 1 lemon (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente according to package instructions. Reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain.

02 - Shred or chop the rotisserie chicken while pasta cooks and set aside.

03 - Return drained pasta to the pot on low heat. Add olive oil, pesto, and 2–3 tablespoons reserved pasta water. Stir to coat pasta evenly.

04 - Mix in shredded chicken and Parmesan cheese. Toss until chicken is heated through and sauce is creamy, adding more pasta water if needed.

05 - Season with freshly ground black pepper to taste. Optionally, stir in torn basil leaves and lemon zest.

06 - Transfer to serving bowls and top with additional Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

# Additional Tips::

01 -

It tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen when you actually spent ten minutes.
The pesto does all the heavy lifting, turning simple ingredients into something that feels restaurant-quality.
You can throw this together on your busiest nights and still feel proud of what's on the table.

02 -

The pasta water is not just for thinning—it's the bridge between ingredients because the starch emulsifies the pesto into something silky instead of greasy.
Don't skip reserving it, and don't use cold water as a substitute or you'll cool everything down and break the magic.

03 -